Act 1, Scene 2 Summary

Portia enters with her lady-in-waiting, Nerissa. Portia complains that she is tired of the world, because she cannot choose a husband for herself but must follow the rules stipulated in her father's will. Portia has been pursued by a number of wealthy and royal suitors, but none of them interested her, as they had some faults like ego and no sense of humor. One even had too much a fondness for his horse, and another was a drunk. None of them would even attempt the puzzle left by her father, which involved choosing among three caskets, or boxes, based on clues that would lead him to the correct box. There was one casket of gold, another of silver, and the third of lead. Each box had a clue, and the worthy suitor would choose the box that contained Portia's picture, thus...